Just Bridesmaids
by iKarexx
Summary: When Helga Pataki returns to Hillwood after 5 years, can she face the love she left behind and be a part of his wedding party? A sequel to the story, Just Friends.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Hillwood Homecoming

Paul raced out of the car as soon as Liam shifted it into park. He quickly hopped up the stairs of the dusty old stoop. Helga charged after him before he could cause anymore trouble. Olga wasn't as agile as she used to be, so Helga took it upon herself to be Paul's constant body guard. He had recently turned five years old, and with that he became even more of a pain. He was much more of a Pataki.

This was the first time in forever that they came to visit her parents, and Helga had already warned Paul on how to behave around Big Bob and Miriam. After their big move to Manhattan, Helga had only visited Hillwood once, after that she found no reason to return. Until now.

Olga was was pregnant with baby number 2, and even though Helga could take care of her just fine in Manhattan, Miriam insisted on seeing her. They wouldn't stay long, a month tops, Liam did have his work back on Broadway, and Helga was taking online classes for her Masters degree. However, Olga homeschooled little Paul, so she found no reason not to come.

Helga could think of many reasons not to come back. One in particular.

"Helga, could you please hand me my purse?" Phoebe's chipper voice called out.

Phoebe had decided to take this opportunity to come visit her own parents. She was living with them for the past four years. After both Helga and Phoebe were accepted into Columbia University, Liam and Olga made room for Phoebe to move in. Everything was just about perfect.

Now that she was back, she wasn't sure anymore. It had taken her years to finally stop thinking about this place and move on in her life, now that she was back it was like plunging the dagger back inside. Her stoop felt familiar, but a stranger at the same time. The door opened for Paul before they knew it, and Big Bob himself was there to greet them. He took the kid in his arms and raised him up to his shoulders.

"Hey there Paulie!" Bob started. "What, you've been avoiding your old Pops or what?"

"Hi Grandpa!"

Bob set him down and motioned him toward the house. "Get in there and say hi to your grandma, she's been talking about you all week."

Paul ran off and Phoebe followed after him. Olga and Liam were still getting things out of the car, so Helga was left standing there with Bob. It never went well.

"Hey there Little Lady. How's college been treating you?"

Helga rolled her eyes, _as if he cared_. It always started with stupid small talk that never went anywhere. She guessed anything was better than talking about how Bob and Miriam let her move out junior year.

"It's great."

They left it at that.

Helga walked inside the house and found Miriam making Paul a snack while Phoebe helped. She took the opportunity to go upstairs to her old room. It was nothing like the room she remembered. Everything was gone, most of it was back in her current room in Manhattan. There was one small bed for her to sleep in while she stayed, and a few boxes with things that probably belonged to Bob. The walls were still pink but besides the color, they were bare. She took her small duffle bag of clothes and took them to the closet.

The closet.

Maybe she shouldn't go into the closet.

She set it down on the bed instead.

Unwanted memories were crawling back into her mind and she wasn't sure if she had the strength to keep them away.

"Helga?" Liam voice came from behind her.

He was standing there with his hands in his pockets watching her. "Yeah?"

"You know, it's ok not to be ok."

She looked down to the floor. He was the only one that ever understood her. "I don't think I can do this."

"It will only be for a little while. Besides, you can do anything. It took a lot of courage to leave this place, you'll need just as much to return."

Phoebe and Helga decided to take a walk down the old neighborhood after they went to visit her parents. They were much more pleasant to be around. As they walked, Helga noticed new faces around her that weren't there when she left. New children were playing on the sidewalk, new families were living in houses of her old neighbors. There was one thing that stayed the same.

Moretti's was still opened after the years and a small ember of joy burned inside of Helga. It was just about dinner time so the girls decided to grab a quick bite. The place was packed considering it was a Saturday night. The hostess at the entrance was unfamiliar to Helga, but sat in her favorite booth anyway.

Their waitress appeared a few minutes later and offered them menus.

"Does Marti still work here?" Helga asked the girl.

"Yes he does," the girl replied.

Helga gave Phoebe a soft smile. "Tell him Helga Pataki would like her usual."

The waitress gave her a curious look, but write it down anyway. Phoebe ordered a lasagna and glass of wine.

It only took Rita Moretti three minutes before she charged into the dinning room looking for her. "Helga! Is that really you, Sweetie?"

She pulled the girl right out of her chair and took her in a warm hug. "Rita, you're crushing me here."

"I'm sorry, Sweetie, it's just been so long! I couldn't believe it when I saw the ticket. How have you been? What are you doing back in town?"

Helga looked at Phoebe for a bit of encouragement. "My sister's having her second kid, so she wanted to spend some time here."

"Well that's wonderful! I expect to see you here every night. Your meal will be on the house tonight."

Rita went back to the kitchen soon enough and Helga was glowing. There were things about this town she did miss. Rita was one of them, and her food. After finishing up their dinner, Helga and Phoebe left the waitress a nice tip, said goodbye to Rita, and headed for the door. Helga turned back to give Rita a final wave when she bumped into something, or someone.

"Sorry about that, I wasn't looking, my fault," she explained.

She rubbed the spot where her forehead met the person in front of her. Once she focused on her surroundings, she was sure she'd hit herself into a delusion.

"Helga?" the familiar voice asked.

"Arnold?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 is up! Thank you for all the love so far. I'm so happy to be sharing this with you. Please leave me a review when you're done so I can know what you think so far. Also, don't forget to follow the story and favorite it.**

 **xoxoxo Karen**

Chapter 2

Bridesmaids

Helga stared back at Arnold with the rest of the world crumbling around her. Their eyes instantly locked together like magnets. He was just like she remembered him, tall, shaggy blond hair, green eyes, but now there was a tiny bit of scruff. He looked at her like he'd looked at her the last time they saw each other. Helga never wanted to see that sorrow in his eyes again, but here he was.

"What are you doing here?" Arnold asked her quietly.

"I um-"

Helga was cut off by a high pitched squeal she remembered. "Oh Helga! Phoebe! Is that really you?"

Lila ran in front of Helga and Arnold to take the girl in a suffocating hug. Once she finished with Helga she went to Phoebe. Helga was still looking at Arnold though, and his eyes hadn't moved either.

"Why good afternoon, Lila," Phoebe greeted.

"What are you two doing back in Hillwood?"

Phoebe began explaining the situation to Lila but Helga couldn't hear a word. Her mouth kept opening to say anything to Arnold, but no words came out.

"Olga's pregnant!" Lila shouted.

"Yes she is," Phoebe said.

"We had no idea," Lila added.

Arnoldn't eyes focused on Helga differently now, now they were angry, now he really looked at her. "How could we know? How could anyone know if you guys just took off and disappeared. It's not like you'd made contact with anyone over the past five years."

Arnold held the dagger that was plunging deeper into her stomach, only this time, she couldn't fight back. He was right, Helga had completely cut them all off.

"Oh Arnold stop it," Lila nudged him on the shoulder. "Helga, Phoebe you two are just in time. I have the most wonderful news for you."

Helga finally broke away from Arnold's gaze to look at Lila's hand, which she was waving around in front of them. There was a beautiful emerald ring on her finger. "Is that?"

"Yes, Helga! I'm engaged, and you're just in time for the wedding."

Lila was engaged. They were only 22, it was strange to think of them getting married, but Lila was always the romantic type. She probably hooked some sucker and refused to let him go. "That's great for you. Who's the lucky guy?"

At that moment he didn't feel like the, "lucky guy". If anything, Arnold felt like the unluckiest guy in the world. Helga's mouth dropped slightly, she brought it back up before anyone could notice, but Arnold did. She couldn't bring herself to look at him anymore. He'd wondered how this would feel like, to see the look on her face when she learned that he'd moved on, that he was happy. It wasn't as satisfying as he thought it would be.

After all these years, Helga was still beautiful, if not, more. Her blond hair was cut short and waved around her face. She wore a long pink t-shirt dress and white sneakers. So familiar, but still a stranger. She'd been gone for what felt like an eternity, he honestly thought he'd never see her again since the last time.

"You two are engaged?" Phoebe asked for her.

Arnold simply nodded, but Lila went into the entire story of their engagement. Phoebe listened respectfully, but Helga's eyes were set on her shoes. Arnold hadn't talked to Phoebe in years, due to her and Gerald breaking up before going to college, he was off playing basketball for Duke. Yet they stayed friends, she was still friends with her on social media. Helga, she disappeared off of everything

"Lila, we should get to our table," Arnold cut in.

His life had to go on, even if Helga was here.

"Oh, just one more thing!" Lila promised. She took her old friends by the hand and smiled. "Helga, Phoebe, I'm ever so thrilled you're back in town, and I would love to have you be a part of my wedding. Would you please do me the grand honor of being my bridesmaids? There's always room for 2 more."

Helga and Arnold looked at each other once again before they began to protest.

"I don't think that would be such a good idea," Arnold started.

"You know, we're not going to be here that long," Helga added.

"We really should get to our table, Lila," Arnold urged.

"We really should," Lila admitted. "But Helga, it would be the greatest honor for you to be in my wedding party, and I won't take no for an answer. I'll come by tomorrow to talk about the details more."

They walked off, but Arnold's eyes still lingered on her. The last thing Helga wanted was to be a bridesmaid for Lila's wedding, especially when the groom was none other than her ex boyfriend. Phoebe and her walked silently back to the Pataky house. Helga couldn't get Arnold's eyes out of her mind. She knew there was a chance she would run into him here, but she thought she could avoid him for the month.

Arnold and Lila were getting married.

Arnold and _Lila_ were getting married. For some terribly selfish reason, Helga never pictured Arnold getting married, let alone with Lila. Last time they'd gone out, Arnold admitted he didn't love Lila the way he thought he would, but apparently feelings could change. Their feelings changed after all.

"Helga," Phoebe finally broke the silence, "are you okay?"

Helga simply nodded. She wasn't ready to talk about it.

Rita was quick to ask Arnold if he knew Helga was in town. Lila did most of the talking for him. It still amazed him that she found nothing awkward about the interaction they had. Helga was Arnold's ex after all, you'd think Lila would think twice before inviting her into the wedding party. Helga would never do it though, Arnold knew her all too well. He thought he knew her.

He didn't want to think about Helga, but he thought about her everyday for the past five years. Helga left to Manhattan their junior year of high school, and at the time he thought they could make it work, they were in love back then, they were blinded by it. The truth was, everything came to an end. It just so happened that Helga made that decisions for them.

"Arnold? Arnold?" Lila's gentle voice brought him back to reality.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"I was just telling Rita how I've asked Phoebe and Helga to please be my bridesmaids."

Rita gave Arnold a concerned look, she knew exactly why this was a bad idea. "I'm not sure that's the best idea, Lila."

"Oh Arnold, don't be silly, Helga and Phoebe are my friends, they need to experience this with me."

"But are they Arnold's friends too?" Rita asked.

Helga wasn't his friend, Helga wasn't anything to him anymore, she was a memory, but that memory was back. How could she do this? How could she just waltz back into his life like this?

"Of course, Rita! We've been friends for years."

Sometimes Lila's innocence was too much.

Arnold sent Gerald a text telling him what just happened.

 _What do you mean she's back?_

 _What it sounds like. Helga came back._

 _Like for good?_

 _No, Idk. But Phoebe is here too._

 _...How is she?_

Gerald still loved Phoebe. Arnold knew that for sure. In his time at college, Gerald never looked at another girl the way he looked at her. Arnold admired that about them. He would be home soon, at least Arnold would have him home soon.

Lila was Helga's friend in high school, she had to remember that.

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to," Phoebe said.

"You're right, but you know Lila won't give us. Criminy, it's like I actually entered the circle of hell. I should have never came."

"Helga, don't think that way. I know this is rather difficult for you, but you shouldn't allow Arnold to see this side of you, you're stronger than that."

"But am I though?" She asked. "After what I did to him, I have no business being back in this dump."

"This is your home."

Helga shot up from the bed and paced around the room. "This isn't home! This was never home! I hate this place so much, and I hate Arnold!"

"Okay good, let all those emotions out."

"I can't believe he's back with Lila! He's _marrying_ Lila! You know, if I wasn't a fucking amazing person, I would call her out for taking my sloppy seconds. Even though, yeah I technically took _her_ sloppy seconds. So these are the sloppy thirds! Arnold was probably never over her, even while we dated. This is so like him! Well if he thinks he can laugh at ole' Helga G Pataky, he is surely mistaken. Phoebe, call Lila, we're joining the wedding party."


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I actually moved to Los Angeles and life has been a roller coaster. Please let me know what you think about this chapter!_

 _xoxoxo Karen_

Chapter 3

Reunion

Helga approached the abandoned field that looked exactly the way she left it. She didn't bring her bat with her, she was here for something else.

"It's about time you came to see me," Dr. Bliss' voice boomed behind her.

Helga let out a sigh of relief. She missed her the most. "How did you know I'd be here?"

She came up to hug her. "Please, everyone on this side of town knows you're here. How have you been?"

She exhaled. "Besides the great time I had in college, and loving my life in New York? Being back here was the worst mistake I could have made."

"Maybe not the worst," Dr. Bliss assured her. "You have to admit, you couldn't run from your problems forever."

Helga took a seat on the dusty floor and hugged her knees. "I wasn't running from my problems. I left because I needed to get out of that house."

"I understand that Helga, but you didn't have to cut off everyone you loved."

Dr. Bliss was one of the many people that were cut off by Helga. She didn't mean to do it, but in order to really heal, she had to cut off everything about Hillwood. "You know I didn't mean that. It was just better when I was a new person."

"How did you feel when you first got to Manhattan?"

Helga laid back on the ground and looked up at the bright blue sky. "I was fine at first, school was ok. It was a preppy rich kid school, but hey, it wasn't bad. It was the weeks that passed. I would talk to Phoebe and Ar...Arnold every day, but that wasn't enough. I...I don't want to talk about that."

"Ok, we won't. Tell me about your encounter with Arnold."

"Criminy! There's nothing but gossips in this town. It went as well as it could have. I actually have to go meet Lila about wedding details."

Dr. Bliss' eyes widened. "Wedding details?"

"I'm going to be a bridesmaid."

"Helga that sounds awfully dangerous for your mental health."

She rolled her eyes. "Please, I'm so over that football headed slug. Lila asked me to do her the favor, and as the amazing person I am, I said yes."

"So the fact that Arnold is marrying Lila doesn't bother you at all?"

"Not at all."

"I have a feeling we're going to be seeing each other more often."

"Helga, how has Manhattan been treating you?" Rhonda Wellington Lloyd asked as she took a sip of tea. Helga and Phoebe had gone to her apartment that afternoon for tea to discuss the wedding details. It turned out Rhonda was Lila's maid of honor. If she had known this was what she was signing herself up for, she wouldn't have done it.

The wedding was a month away, which kept Rhonda on the edge of her seat

"It's great, just peachy," Helga responded.

"I had gone to Manhattan a couple dozen times while you were there. I tried to get together with you, but you'd deleted your social media accounts, and changed your phone number."

Helga took a long sip on her tea. "Um, yeah Liam and Olga bought me a new phone."

"What a shame."

Helga turned to look at Phoebe, who was sitting right beside her, as her head moved, she caught the attention of the groom. Arnold hadn't said a word since they've arrived. He was sitting on the loveseat with Lila, texting on his phone. When they locked eyes Helga could have sworn he was trying to tell her something.

The doorbell rang just then. One of Rhonda's maids opened the door and to their surprise, a smiley Gerald was on the other side. Arnold ran to the door and took his friend in a warm hug. Helga couldn't help but show a little smile. There was a part of her that still cared for her old pals, but she had to ignore that side for now. Her smile dropped. She looked over at Phoebe when her brain started to work again. Her and Gerald had broken up four years ago, she didn't talk about him much, but Helga knew what it felt like to see someone you loved come back into your life. Phoebe and Gerald still talked from time to time, but they hadn't been in the same city, let alone the same room in years.

"Arnold, my man, it's been too long," Gerald said as they finished their hug.

"At least this is your last year at school."

Gerald rolled his eyes. "I'm so ready to be outta there."

Gerald finally noticed Phoebe and gave her a soft smile. Phoebe looked down into her tea.

Helga noticed that behind Gerald stood another familiar face she'd almost forgotten. This could not get any worse now.

"Helga Pataky?"

"Abby Walker."

Abby turned her attention to back to Arnold. Her face was in complete disbelief.

"What the actual fuck, Arnold?" Abby whispered to him.

Arnold couldn't say anything to her right at that moment, but she would want answers soon enough. "Lila."

Arnold and Abby because close friends senior year. Lila never seemed to like her, but Abby was really sweet once you got past the horrible. Since Lila and Rhonda didn't want Abby to be a bridesmaid, Arnold asked her, Gerald, and Peapod Kid to be his groomsmen. He didn't really want Peapod Kid, but Rhonda insisted. Now that Helga and Phoebe were joining, it would at least be an even wedding party.

Lila took a seat on the armchair next to Helga, and Gerald hung around him. Helga and Abby glanced at each other the way they did when they were on the softball team together. It wasn't pretty.

"Helga Pataky, it's been too long," Abby sarcastically greeted her.

"Abby Walker, I almost forgot you existed," Helga responded.

Abby smiled wickedly, Arnold braced himself for the worst. "You must have forgotten everyone in Hillwood existed. I mean you did leave a couple of people here heartbroken and-"

"Hey, Abby!" Gerald cut in. "We should go do some groomsmen things in the other room with Arnold. You know we have to talk to him about that thing I told you about."

Abby frowned and stood up from her seat.

Arnold took them into the kitchen at the other end of the hall. Abby was huffing and puffing as they walked away.

"You gotta stop doing that, girl," Gerald told her.

"I was just saying hello to our old friend. You stopped me before I could ask what the fuck she's doing here."

Arnold took a long breath. "She's Lila's bridesmaid."

"What the fuck, Arnold! Are you out of your mind?"

"Look, I didn't ask her to join, Lila did. I didn't even know she was in town."

Abby's face softened up at that. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, I don't know why you ask. I'm getting married, and I'm just fine without her."

Abby took a sip of tea that she'd been making herself. "Is that it? You're fine."

"Yes. I'm perfectly content."

"But are you happy?"

Arnold was taken by surprise by that. Gerald and Abby were staring at him waiting for an answer, and somehow that made him more uneasy. "What? You know it, why are you asking?"

"Because you haven't said it yet, man," Gerald admitted.

Arnold jerked his arm and spilled his tea on his arm. He took the scalding drink and set it on the counter. He ran to the sink and turned on the cold water. "Son of a bitch."

"You're losing it, man."

Arnold turned to see his friends, they were right. "I hate this. I hate her."

"There you go," Abby said. "Let it all out, you need this."

Arnold began pacing around the kitchen island. "I just can't believe she's actually here. She's only doing this to get under my skin. She dumped me and completely cut me off, why can't she do that now? I was over her, why did she have to come back and-" Arnold caught himself nearly shouting and began to whisper. "I tried to get Lila to reconsider, but she won't. She's so sweet and she still thinks Helga is her friend."

"Wow, she didn't want me in her wedding party, but she'll beg for the shrew?" Abby joked.

"The point is, I just need you guys to help me ignore her, and I'll be ok."

The girls were talking about some nonsense, but Helga wasn't paying attention. The doorbell rang again and Rhonda's smile grew. She sent someone to open the door and a handsome young man was, on the other side. It took Helga a moment to see that the young man was their old classmate, Peapod Kid. He wasn't wearing his usual dark sunglasses, instead, he wore large frame eyeglasses that looked very stylish. Rhonda greeted him right away along with Lila.

"Perfect, the entire wedding party is here," Rhonda announced. "Arnold! Peapod is here!"

Arnold and his gang returned from wherever they had gone in minutes.

"You know Arnold and Gerald," Rhonda began. "That's Abby Walker. You know Phoebe of course and Helga."

Peapod Kid gave her a soft smile. They were never close, but he must have known of Helga's sudden disappearance

"So I think the first thing we should do is pair off. We should definitely do it by height order."

What a nice coincidence that Rhonda was the tallest girl and Peapod Kid was the tallest boy. Phoebe and Abby were the same height, so either of them could be paired with the shorter guy. Looking around, there was no third guy.

"It's not an even number," Helga pointed out.

Rhonda and Lila groaned. "Abby is a groomsman," Lila confessed.

"Yeah, she's one of my best friends, so I asked her to do me the honor," Arnold corrected them.

Helga rolled her eyes. Typical, Arnold was a completely new person. Not only had Helga told him over and over how much she hated Abby, but everyone in Hillwood did.

Rhonda was paired with Gerald, Helga with Peapod Kid, and Phoebe and Abby were together. Helga could have easily cracked a joke about the entire situation, but she decided to bite her tongue.

They were currently talking about dress colors, Rhonda wanted a deep red, while Lila wanted a soft pink. Helga couldn't care less, but Phoebe was acting as the mediator between them.

In between sighs, Helga caught Abby's attention. "So Pataky, how was Manhattan? Did you play softball there? I mean no one knew a thing about you."

She wanted to start something, but Helga wouldn't give in to that. Especially not with Arnold's eager face. "No, I didn't."

"Why's that? I mean you were one of the best players in the school."

Helga took a deep breath. "I never liked softball, I decided to focus on my school work instead."

Abby scoffed. Arnold gave her a piercing look to stop but Abby was Abby. The truth was, Helga, made it on the softball team, but she quit. She tried and tried to get into the sport again, but there were factors that kept holding her down, and eventually, she couldn't deal with that anymore. Anyway, there were more important things to care for, like helping Olga raise Paul.

"Did the team ever make it to the state finals?" Helga shot back.

Abby looked down. "No," she mumbled.

Even Arnold got a kick out of that one. They glanced at each other with mutual smiles, but they faded as quickly as they formed. Deep down, Helga wanted to tell Arnold everything that happened to her that year in school, everything that went wrong. This wasn't the time or the place, and that time might never come. She had to admit, she missed his smile, and even though that smile was all for Lila, at that moment, his smile was for Helga.

"You know," Abby started again, "we all have a great skin tone for light pink. Helga would look especially beautiful. Don't you guys think?" Her eyes fell on Arnold.

Abby was stirring the pot and Helga had no idea why. What would she get out of this? Drama. She was always involved in drama. Arnold's face turned red as the dresses Rhonda was suggesting. This was exactly what Helga wanted, to see him uncomfortable at his wedding, but now that she was seeing it unfold, she wasn't so sure if she wanted it.

Rhonda gave Abby the dirtiest of looks. "Abigail, stop."

"Pink is good," Arnold coughed up. "I like pink."

Lila squealed. "Oh, Arnold! I knew you'd love it."

If Helga had blinked, she would have missed Arnold's eyes landing on hers, only for the briefest of moments.


	4. Chapter 4

_thank you for all the support._

 _xoxox karen_

 **Chapter 4**

 **5 Years Prior**

Helga hopped off the bus, not even caring that her pleated skirt was rising up, exposing her underwear. She stopped caring a long time ago. Her backpack was full with every textbook she had. Olga had signed her up for all AP classes, and now that she was a senior, it was really taking a toll on her. She reached their apartment and hurried into the crowded elevator. She saw these people everyday, she never knew any of their names. She also learned that they didn't want to learn hers either. Olga wasn't home when she got there, so Helga took shelter in her bedroom. She had to start on her homework immediately if she wanted any of it done. It was already six o'clock, she would have gotten home earlier, but she had softball practice that day. She couldn't concentrate at all during practice, she didn't even bring her uniform home to wash.

She took a deep breath, she had to stay calm. Life back home was much easier than this. She had Phoebe to help her with her homework, and her classes weren't nearly as hard as they were here. Her phone started ringing, it was Arnold again. She let the phone keep ringing until it stopped. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to Arnold, she just didn't have the time. Arnold wasn't about short conversations, when he called the conversations lasted hours on end. He would tell her she could work on homework while they talked, but it never worked out. She wanted to talk to him, she wanted to see him, most importantly.

When the one person you loved the most in the entire world isn't anywhere close to you, it feels like a part of your soul has been taken away. Helga never told Arnold how much she missed him because of that. It hurt him too.

It was time to concentrate on calculus. She stared at the fifteen problems in front of her. She began on the first question.

Her phone started ringing again. It was him. She declined the call. She still had to finish her calculus, start her rough draft for English, do research for her history-

Her phone rang again.

She picked it up on the first ring. "What!?" She yelled into the phone.

"Helga?"

She threw herself on her bed. She couldn't' believe she spoke that way to him. "I'm sorry."

"Are you ok? I can call later if you want."

He was so sweet, she didn't deserve him. "It's ok, I'm just really busy with homework."

"I just wanted to talk to you for a minute."

"I know, I'm just not in the mood right now." She hung up.

She missed him so much she wanted to cry right there. She wanted to be with him right now and work on homework with him. She wanted to enjoy her senior year with her boyfriend. It hurt the most when she saw the pictures from Homecoming Week. All of her friends were wearing stupid costumes and in their school colors. A picture perfect moment, only she wasn't in it. They didn't need her anyway.

Arnold tried calling a few more times, at that point, Helga stopped trying to do her homework and turned off her phone. The next day at breakfast, Olga and Liam were asking about Arnold, she didn't want to answer any questions so she took her breakfast into her room. She didn't end up eating it either. She hadn't been eating much recently.

At school she couldn't pay attention. During math class, she was looking at the board, but she didn't see anything on it, just a jumble of numbers that meant nothing. At one point, she even stopped taking notes. What was the point?

She missed softball practice that day, and when the coach was blowing up her phone asking where she was, she threw her phone into the river. She sat on a park bench looking out into the river. Water was peaceful, water was rage. Helga had so much rage inside of her, rage and love, but mostly rage. She wanted to sink into that water, feel the rage of the thousands of gallons hugging her body, pulling her down. She wanted those waves to make her stop feeling.

Olga was yelling at her as soon as she got home because it was nearly midnight and she hadn't been answering her calls. Helga didn't tell her she threw her phone in the river, she really didn't want anything. She made a beeline for her room when Liam got in her way.

"Arnold has been calling, he's worried sick about you."

Helga looked at him but her mind was elsewhere.

"Helga, are you even listening?"

She hated herself.

"Can you please give Arnold a call to tell him you're fine?"

She hated this place.

"Helga!"

She didn't belong here. She didn't belong back home either. That wasn't home. This wasn't home. Maybe some people just didn't have homes.

The landline rang, and Liam answered. It was Arnold. He handed Helga the phone and let her go up to her room.

She put the phone to her ear but didn't say anything, Arnold did all the talking.

"Helga, where have you been? I know you need your space, and I don't want to be pushy, but you're really worrying me. Look, I was looking up bus tickets, and I could come visit you next weekend if you want."

Helga hung up because she could master the balls to tell him no.

She didn't get out of bed the next day, or the day after. She told Olga she had a stomach ache, so she also didn't eat much. In all honesty, she wasn't hungry, and even if she was nothing tasted satisfying to her. On the third day of her missing school she cried. She cried the entire day. She didn't know why, she just did. She just did a lot of thing lately. She was lost in her own mind, thinking of the emptiness around her. She was lonely. She was desperate to make the loneliness stop. The chaos in her mind was eating her alive. Thinking of Arnold made her feel worse. Thinking of all her friends and family made her guilt rise the waves that were consuming her. She had to get out.

She turned the water on in her bathtub, as hot as it could possibly go. She didn't take off her clothes when she went in, she just laid in the water. That's when she saw her razor on the shelf. The sleep was peaceful, the release she wanted. Eventually the stinging in her wrists went away, all feeling went away. That was what she wanted to feel, absolutely nothing at all.

That feeling didn't stay. She awoke in the hospital like a baby being born again into the world. Her soul had left her body, and now it couldn't connect itself back to reality. Olga was sitting beside her when she woke up, and that look on her sister's face shattered her.

"Helga I'm so so sorry," she mumbled in between her sobbing.

Helga's eyes started to water too, she was feeling again. "It wasn't you fault."

"I should have know you were unhappy. As soon as they release you, I'll take you back home, I'll live there with you if I have to."

Helga shook her head. "I don't want to go back. I don't want to feel anything anymore."

A small part of her wished she wouldn't have woke up. Another part, a much louder part, wanted everything to go back to normal.

Liam walked into the room now with an older man in a suit and tie. He introduced him as Dr. was a psychiatrist of some sort and he kept asking Helga stupid questions.

"Have you been eating regularly?"

No.

"How has your sleep cycle been?"

Horrible.

"Did you want to die?"

She wasn't so sure.

"Was there anything keeping you from doing it."

No.

"Are those feelings still with you?"

She wasn't sure if they'd ever go away.

Depression. He just threw that word around like it was nothing, like it was normal. Helga had severe depression and suicidal tendencies. A nicer way of calling her a freak of nature. Her depression was due to the drastic changes in her life. She was a danger to herself.

"Arnold has been calling," Liam told her once Dr. Howard was gone.

Helga didn't look at him. "Did you tell him?"

"No," Liam admitted. "That' not a conversation to have over the phone. He's coming to visit this weekend."

Helga's eyes grew wider and her chest started thumping. "No you can't!" She forced herself out of the bed and ripped the tubes off of her skin. "Arnold can't see me like this!"

Helga was in a rage. Liam called in the nurses, but Helga was already standing up. "He can't ever see me like this! He can't. He just can't."

Two nurses rushed in with a syringe filled with tranquilizer. Then she was resting again.

Helga was a danger to herself, they made that conclusion quickly. Now, all that was left was to get her help. She'd be admitted to a rehabilitation center in town, for three months.

But Arnold was still coming that weekend.

She was lucky enough to get out of the hospital by then, so she was at her house by the time Arnold arrived. She wasn't sure how long he was planning on staying, but he had a small backpack with him that November morning.

Helga was wearing dark sweat pants, a long sleeve shirt, and slippers. Arnold looked like an angel. His smile was the first thing she saw when he stepped out of the cab, along with a small bouquet of sunflowers. He ran up to her in an embrace and her whole body felt like it was made of sticks and paper.

"I've missed you so much, Love," Arnold whispered in her ear.

She couldn't find the words to say to him. He leaned in for a kiss, but Helga pulled away. "Do you want to come in?"

Liam and Arnold chatted as soon as they saw each other, and baby Paul was in his arms, like he belonged in the family. Helga hid in her room until Arnold found her laying in her bed. The bandages around her wrists were itching like crazy, but she couldn't draw attention to herself.

"Helga, is something wrong?" Arnold asked. "You know you can tell me anything."

"You should go home."

His eyebrows rose. "What?"

"You should leave."

"You don't want me here?"

She nodded. "I need to be alone."

"I don't understand, we were fine a few weeks ago."

"I'm not fine. You need to go."

Arnold's eyes were misty and Helga felt her stomach sink inside her. She wanted to tell him she couldn't bare to look at him when she really couldn't have him. He said he'd always be waiting in Hillwood, but Helga couldn't hold on to that dream, her mind was already a black hole.

"Ok, but I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you. I'll call you. Bye, Love."

That was the last day she ever saw Arnold. She checked herself into rehab before Arnold could call her, then she was technology free for three months. She hadn't been able to let go of her old home, she learned in rehab that it would be better to just start all over. So she did. She deleted everything that would remind her of home. The only person she couldn't bare to lose was Phoebe. As much as it killed her, she had to let go of Arnold, holding to that dream was crushing her and it was time to finally wake up.


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you so much for the support so far. Please make sure to share this story and leave me some feedback. The feedback you give really inspires me to write and it also gives me ideas as I go along._

 _Don't forget to follow this story so you can get updates as soon as I post a new chapter._

 _xoxox karen_

 **Chapter 5**

 **Say Yes To The Dress**

Helga and Phoebe arrived at the dress boutique at noon, and the entire wedding party was already there. Lila insisted on being a June bride, so all the wedding planning was being done urgently. Today they all had to go get Lila's wedding dress, the bridesmaid's dresses, and the groomsmen's suits. Helga didn't care what she wore, so she was prepared to listen to Rhonda argue the entire time. Lila rushed to give the girls a hug as soon as she saw them. The boutique was empty, Rhonda had paid to have it reserved for them. There were only two seats left in the room, one on the love seat next to Arnold and the other on the sofa in between Abby and Peapod Kid. Helga was ready to take one for the team, but Abby pulled Phoebe in to sit beside her.

"Phoebe, why don't you sit next to me, we are paired up after all."

Helga's face turned red, but there was nothing left to do but sit next to Arnold. She tried sitting as far away from him as possible, but it was hard with the seats being so close together. Lila didn't even seem to mind, like she was oblivious of how wrong the situation really was.

"What are you doing here?" Helga asked Arnold. "Isn't it bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding?"

No one else was paying attention to them, so Arnold gave her a soft chuckle. "You'd like that."

Helga scoffed. "This has nothing to do with me."

"You know, I know you think I'm stupid, but I'm not that stupid."

Lila walked out of the dressing room in a mermaid style pearl dress. It was a beautiful dress, but a bit too sexy for Lila Sawyer.

"I think it's amazing!" Rhonda exclaimed.

"Kinda scandalous, don't you think?" Abby added.

Rhonda roller her eyes at her. "You would know."

Abby didn't say anything, but Helga could tell that blow hurt.

Lila hurried into the fitting room to try something else on. Helga kept her eyes in front of her, but leaned in a bit closer to Arnold. "You're the only person in the world that could actually be friends with her."

Arnold tensed up, but leaned in closer too. "You don't know her at all," he whispered back.

"Oh please, I knew her long before you did."

"But you never got to know her."

"There's no point, she hated me."

Arnold scoffed. "She never did. And she's changed so much from high school."

Lila came out again wearing a silk dress with a deep neckline, even sexier than the last one. Helga could see how uncomfortable Lila felt in that dress.

"That's awful," Helga announced.

"Helga, what are you talking about? I think it looks _tres magnifique_!" Rhonda fought back.

"I do think it's a bit revealing for a church," Lila said.

Lila retreated back. Peapod Kid turned to look at Helga then. "I believe we're going to be here all day."

"Please, I bought a sleeping bag just in case."

They laughed together, Arnold wasn't in that sort of mood.

"Lighten up," Helga whispered to him, "enjoy this."

"It's a little hard to enjoy it."

"We can be civil with each other, Arnold."

He looked away from her. "Maybe you can, but I'm not so sure."

Lila came out again wearing a beautiful ball gown that looked like she should be on top of a wedding cake. Everyone was gasping at her beauty, Arnold had a soft smile on his face. Helga felt a lump in her throat that was hard to swallow. She was breathtaking.

Maybe this wouldn't be as easy as she thought it would be. Helga stood up from her seat. "I'll be right back, I need to use the little girl's room."

She bolted out of there as discreet as she could. It wasn't so much so that she was upset at Lila, it was more so that it was sinking in, everything had changed. Worse, everything went back to how it started.

Before Helga could hide in the bathroom, she heard a voice behind her. "You have no right to be mad," Abby told her.

She had her arms crossed in front of her and a furious look on her face. "What do you care anyway? You always hated me."

"Get over yourself. You know how long it took Arnold to recover? He was an absolute mess." Abby's eyes started welling up too, she kept trying to push it back, but there was no use. "Arnold's my friend, he's the only one that ever saw me as anything else than what you all call me. I loaned him a hundred bucks to get himself a bus ticket to see you, and you-" Helga swallowed that lump. Abby regained her strength. "You destroyed him."

"I never wanted to hurt him," Helga admitted.

"Well you have a funny way of showing it." Abby tossed her a mini packet of tissues. "Get back out there, and don't give him any reason to doubt his decision."

Doubt. Did Abby really think Helga could make Arnold doubt his decision? When she first agreed to do this, that was never what she had in mind. She wanted to make him uncomfortable, to have the last laugh, but she never thought she could stop this wedding. She had recovered, she was over him, it's too bad it still hurt.

That still didn't explain why Abby was stirring the pot earlier. Maybe she was doing it to upset Helga. Or maybe she was just manipulating her at this point. She had to admit, it was working, Helga was wondering is it was at all possible for Arnold to still feel a certain way about her.

Arnold didn't have the heart to tell Lila he didn't love her dress. Maybe that was the reason they never took the groom dress shopping to begin with. She looked beautiful, she always did, but Arnold didn't love it. He guessed he imagined something simple. This whole wedding was turning into a show ever since Rhonda joined the wedding party. The added drama came from Helga. She hadn't tried anything yet, maybe she was a changed woman. She never did try to sabotage his relationship with Lila back in high school, so there was that. But Arnold couldn't be too sure with her here.

Her and Abby were back from the bathroom and Helga took her seat again. Lila chose the dress and now it was time for the bridesmaids dresses. Rhonda volunteered herself and Phoebe to model the dresses. Helga wasn't trying to make conversation with him anymore, which made him feel even more uncomfortable. To be be completely honest, Arnold was surprised Helga hadn't tried to make him mad. Everything was different after Helga dumped him, he wasn't as optimistic about her anymore. He trusted her and gave her all the love he had, and she threw it away, now it was hard to give anyone else the same amount of love. He wasn't sure he would ever be able to.

Rhonda came out in a short, skin tight, red dress. Gerald raised an eyebrow at that number. "Pass."

Rhonda roller her eyes. "Lila makes the final choice." She directed her gaze to her. "What do you think?"

"Umm…"Lila was bad at confrontation.

"It looks like the wedding is going to be in Vegas," Helga cut in.

Arnold chuckled at that comment. Helga nudged him with her elbow.

Rhonda stormed back into the fitting room. Phoebe came out in a short flowy pink dress.

Peapod Kid leaned closer to Helga, even though he whispered, Arnold still heard him say, "you'd look lovely in that dress."

Arnold huffed. He knew that didn't mean anything, but it still cut into him. He imagined all the guys that she'd dated in the past five years. He couldn't pretend like she hadn't dated. Lila was the only girl Arnold did, but that was because his heart was wounded and couldn't risk getting hurt again. The only reason he even asked Lila was because he was desperate for company. He'd broken her heart too, and it was only right for him to try to see if their broken hearts could make one whole one. Their relationship was comfortable. So he asked her to marry him. His parents weren't too happy with the idea, and neither were the borders, but they supported him. They didn't want him to marry so young, especially when he was just at the start of his career.

Arnold graduated with a teaching degree, which wasn't what he was expecting at all, but he loved it. He taught third grade at PS 118, which was the biggest shock. He was a student teacher the year before and he was offered a full time position for the following school year. He found that working with the kids really helped him too.

He remembered the weeks that came after going to see Helga in Manhattan. He left knowing that there was something in there relationship that wasn't right, but he still chose to believe it could get better. He called everyday, usually just ended up talking to Olga. He sent letters, and never received an answer. Then, Helga deleted herself from all social medias. Everyone stopped answering his calls, and his letters were returned in the mail. Soon Helga Pataki became nothing but a memory.

He didn't want to think about that now. He was content with his life, he was over her. Yet here she was reopening all of his wounds.

"I love it," Lila gushed. "I think Rhonda and Helga should try that dress on too, to see if it would look ever so lovely on all of you."

The girls were forced in the dressing room. Just then Arnold received a text from Gerald.

 _You ok?_

 _I'm great_ , Arnold respond.

 _We can make a run for it whenever ya want._

Arnold chuckled.

Rhonda came out of the dressing room first. The dress reminded Arnold of the one Abby wore to their senior prom, only Abby's was a light purple. They ended up going together since they both didn't have dates, and it turned out to be a lot more fun that way.

"That's lovely," Lila smiled.

Rhonda huffed. She clearly still wanted the red dress.

She gasped as soon as Helga come out of the dressing room. The dress fit perfectly on Helga, giving her a stunning hourglass figure. The sweetheart neckline dipped in, revealing the right amount of cleavage.

His phone buzzed.

 _You're red as a tomato_ , Abby wrote.

Arnold felt his face grow hotter after reading that.

"That one is the one!"

The saleswoman sent the guys and Abby into the dressing room next to try on their tuxedos. Arnold was hoping for just a simple white shirt and vest, but he was sure Rhonda and Lila would make him go all out. On his way in, he made eye contact with Helga on her way out. She was trying to zip up the dress she came in wearing. It was a grey A-line dress, but he hadn't noticed it even a dress since she put a cropped pink sweater on top of it. She was struggling, and no one else was around…

He touched her gently on her shoulder before taking the zipper and pulling it up. It got stuck for bit and his cold fingers brushed her lower back.

"Thank you," he mumbled out when he was done.

He nodded. "Don't mention it."

Helga was about to step out when Arnold called her back. "Can you do me a favor?"

She nodded.

He slipped into the tuxedo Rhonda picked out as quickly as he could and handed Helga the bowtie. "Could you just help me with that part?"

"You still don't know how to tie one?" She teased.

"No one uses bowties," he argued.

Helga started folding it in all sorts of directions. "I had to wear them with my school uniform sometimes, it was a load of crap."

She finished, and it came out perfectly. "Thank you, Helga. I really do appreciate it."

"Any time."


	6. Chapter 6

_Hi guys, sorry this is such a short chapter. A lot is happening in my life, including me finishing my final semester in college. I'm kinda in a rough spot emotionally, but I'll be back real soon with more content. Stay rad._

 _Karen xoxox_

 **Chapter 6**

 **Arnold's Rebuttal**

The dress fittings ended hours later after taking everyone's measurements and finally agreeing on colors and patterns. Helga kept quiet for the most part, but Phoebe was hitting it off with Gerald. They warmed up to each other again, and soon they were talking like they'd never been broken up, just like it used to be. Helga envied her for that, for being compassionate. By the end of the day, Gerald had invited Phoebe to go get some dinner.

"Helga, are you able to get back home by yourself?" Phoebe asked her.

Lila cut in before Helga could answer. "Oh Arnold could take her back home! I was going to do some more errands with Rhonda anyway. I wouldn't want you walking home alone so late."

Both Helga and Arnold's eyes widened. "Actually, I'm already taking Abby back home, and she lives across town"

"Actually," Abby interrupted, "I'm sure i could ride with Peapod Kid. We're both on the same street, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Peapod Kid agreed, and they we off, leaving Arnold and Helga alone in his car. He was driving the old Packard, which wasn't surprising. Their ride to Helga's house was silent, aside from the soft jazz music playing. They couldn't find anything to say to each other.

She was going to go straight up to her room, but Olga and Paul were sitting outside on the stoop. As soon as she saw Arnold, she got herself up from the step and waddled down.

"Arnold, is that you?" Olga screamed.

Arnold put the car in park and stepped out. Helga counted to ten before exploding. "Hi, Olga. It's been so long."

Olga took him in a hug, thumping him with her baby belly. "Oh Arnold, how have you been?"

"I've been doing alight."

Olga let him go and took a good look at him. "I'm so happy you and Helga have been able to talk. She's had such a rough time these past few years, but I'm-"  
"OK!" Helga cut in before anything else could be exposed. "I think it's best if we all just go inside and let Arnold go home."

Paul ran up to Arnold without Helga noticing. "You're the boy from the locket."

Helga's eyebrows shot up like rockets. She couldn't find her voice, it was like she was seeing herself from outside her own body. She took control and ran after Paul, but he was all energy running around Arnold and Olga.

"You're the boy from the locket," he blurted out again.

"What?" Arnold asked Helga.

"Don't listen to this brat!" Helga shouted. Paul was laughing and running up and down the stoop like it was nothing. Helga was having trouble keeping up. "Criminy! Paul! Get back here you demon child!"

Paul finally stopped and let Arnold take him into his arms. It was like he was a different kid with Arnold. Paul let his head fall on Arnold's chest as if they'd known each other forever. "Paul, I met you when you were just a baby."

Paul nodded. "I saw the picture. Mamma has it in my baby book," he says matter-of-factly.

"I've missed you a lot. What grade are you in now?"

Paul held up one finger. "First grade."

"How do you like your school?"

Paul sunk himself back into him. "I don't go to school. Mamma is my teacher."

"You know, I'm a teacher," Arnold beamed.

"You can be my teacher. Mamma is too tired, and Helga is too grumpy."

Helga shot him a look. This wasn't happening. Arnold locked eyes with her.

"Paul, why don't you go show Arnold your ant farm," Helga suggested.

Paul took his hand and pulled him up to the house. Helga turned to Olga who had a huge smile on her face. "Oh baby sister, I knew you and Arnold would reunite. I've really missed him."

Helga wasn't ready to break her heart, but she had to tell her sooner rather than later. Helga was stronger now, she recovered, she could handle a broken heart, Olga couldn't. "It's never going to be the same, Olga."

Olga shook her head. "Oh no, I remember, I heard him, he said he'd always be waiting for you. Here he is, you can try to talk it out."

Helga took in a big breath. "No Olga, we can't. Arnold is getting married."

Olga's smiled dropped with the last bit of hope she had for her. That was the same look she had when she woke up in the hospital. Helga hated thinking about those moments, she never wanted to think of her sister in that way. When Helga was younger, she hated how cheerful Olga was, but she quickly learned that she hated it more when Olga was upset. Olga never mentioned Arnold after Helga kicked him out of the apartment. She was afraid to mention it, afraid to make Helga upset. Everyone knew Helga's soul was broken, and she couldn't love anyone until she mended herself together.

"I don't understand."

It was like Arnold had broken her heart instead. "He's marrying Lila Sawyer, my old friend. I'm going to be a bridesmaid at their wedding."

Olga always held onto the hope that Arnold and Helga would live happily ever after. She always wanted Helga to get better and reconnect with him. Helga did get better, and she didn't need a boy to make her feel better, she told herself that all the time. However, she never seemed to feel strong enough to let a boy into her life. Attachment was what nearly killed her. She was what nearly killed her. She couldn't trust herself anymore.

Seeing Paul in glee over his ant farm made Arnold wish he could have seen him grow up. He still remembered the day Olga went into labor. Him and Helga were fighting over something stupid, over Abby. Helga was actually jealous of Abby, just because Arnold had started talking to her. Him and Abby never saw each other in that way, but people always assumed so, especially Helga. It was such a stupid fight, but it was quickly interrupted by Olga's water breaking.

That felt like an eternity ago. Here Paul was, five years old, already grown up. He missed everything: his first steps, his first words, first day of school. Arnold knew he wasn't anything to Paul, but at one point he thought there was a possibility of that. Paul knew who he was, that was a pleasant surprise.

"Were you Helga's boyfriend?" Paul asked as he pulled out his box of legos.

Arnold's face turned red. He tried to distract himself by chuckling at Paul calling Helga just by her first name, instead of Aunt. He nodded. "Yeah."

Paul didn't look up from his legos. He was starting to build some sort of red structure. "Helga is really pretty, why don't you like her anymore? Maybe she'd be less grumpy."

They say children and drunks are the most honest people in the world. For once, Arnold wished that wasn't true. "I still like her," he assured him, even though saying it made his stomach turn, maybe it was because it was true. "She doesn't like me, Paul. And trust me, Helga has _always_ been grumpy."

"Helga was sad," Paul told him.

"What do you mean?" Arnold asked him.

He shrugged. "She was always sad."

Arnold didn't ask him further about the subject, Paul was a kid and really shouldn't be pestered about his aunt's life. Instead they talked about the school work he was doing. He was far more advanced than the children his age, already knew how to add and subtract, he was working on multiplications now. He already knew the 1,2,3,4, and 5 times table. He was working on 6 right now.

After a while, Olga called them into the kitchen for dinner. Big Bob and Miriam were out of the house with Liam on some sort of errand, so Olga insisted on Arnold staying for dinner with them. Arnold told himself that it was ok for him to stay since he was still friends with Paul and Olga. Helga didn't even look at him as she set the table. Olga and her prepared a variety of that all looked delicious. Olga handed him and plate and insisted he try everything.

He sat in the seat to her left, right in front of Helga. Arnold distracted himself by quizzing Paul on his multiplications. Helga was looking down at her plate and occasionally glanced at Olga to give her dirty looks. Arnold knew Helga didn't want him there, but he couldn't let her win, not again.

Arnold turned his attention to Olga. "How have you been, Olga? You look like you're ready to deliver any day now."

Olga smiled. "Oh no, Arnold, not quite yet I hope. We've all been wonderful. Well, we're trying at least. Helga is taking her classes for her master's degree online to help with Paul while I'm resting."

'You know," he started, "if you need the help, I'd be more than happy to help tutor Paul."

Helga nearly spat out her food. Olga ignored her as she was choking and instead started tearing up. "Oh, Arnold. You don't know how much that would help me. Thank you so much."

Paul got up from his seat and ran to give Arnold a hug.

Helga finally got her breath back. "I'm sorry, what?"

No one was listening to her, Olga was already arranging times for Arnold to come to the house. This was much better than sulking about Helga. Now he'd have to see her everyday and make her uncomfortable. That was a reward in itself. He usually wasn't a bad person, but she brought it out of him.

The following Monday, Arnold was prepped and ready to tutor Paul. He arrived at the house at nine AM sharp and was greeted by Paul at the door. Helga was up in her old room, and didn't come out at all when Arnold arrived. Paul explained that Helga was in an extra cranky mood, that made Arnold smile. They started their lesson with multiplications. Paul was picking up new information quickly and could nearly do it himself by the end of the lesson.

By lunchtime, Arnold had to improvise the rest of the day, since Paul was ready to move on. Helga had lunch ready for Paul; peanut butter and jelly, with grapes, and chocolate milk. Paul thanked her and sat on the table, then Helga did the unexpected, he handed Arnold a plate too. She didn't say anything when she handed it to him, but he was sure he caught her smiling.

"Thank you, Helga," Arnold said.

"Don't mention it, Football Head. Paul likes you, so I kinda have to like you too."


End file.
